Patience - Reflections of a Witness
by deweydell25
Summary: Abbie Mills reflects on her role as a Witness and her relationship with Ichabod Crane


Patience - Reflections of a Witness

_'Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing" it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way."_

_-Fulton J Sheen_

Lieutenant Grace Abigail Mills was always smart, often brave ,and seldom wrong. There were times though when Abbie Mills was angry. Angry at what she thought she could never have.

Abbie rolled her eyes as she watched the young lovers kiss and hold hands as they left the park. It was twilight on the third night of their stake out. There had been three homicides in as many weeks, all the victims had been drained of blood. The evidence pointed to demonic activity and of course the two Witnesses had to investigate.

Ichabod followed Abbie's line of vision, and seeing the young couple's amorous behavior, he instantly knew what troubled her. He pressed her shoulder reassuringly, but said nothing. The more the pair worked together the less need they had for words. Ichabod and Abbie could read each other like a book, a very old book.

Abbie had been thinking quite a bit lately of her life as a Witness, sometimes this was the source of her anger and frustration. Her future looked bleak from where she stood. Ichabod at least had the hope of a reunion with Katrina one day. What did Abbie have? The next seven years

would be lonely and troublesome.

Abbie was a Witness, yes, but she was also a woman . A woman who desired the security of love and a family one day. Her current situation seemed to prevent any hope of a "normal" life. Luke hardly looked at her anymore and Abbie knew that no man could really understand her crazy life. No man, except Ichabod Crane.

Abbie knew she would be the good little soldier, that's what she did. That's what people expected her to do. Yes, she would steadfastly persevere in her role as Witness - as long as she had Ichabod at her side. Abbie trusted him with her life. He was her best friend , partner and confidant. He was her port in the storm she called her life and she believed she was his.

The stake out at the park ended that night. The demon involved was a menacing Shape shifter who needed to feed weekly on human blood.

Ichabod and Abbie were victorious, the blood sucker was eliminated, but their bruised bodies were proof that it was not an easy battle. All Abbie wanted that night was a hot shower and sleep, lots of sleep.

The shower was wonderful and Abbie's tired, battered body enjoyed every minute of it. She quickly dressed for bed and drifted off to Billie Holiday singing "The Very Thought of You".

_... The mere idea of you , the longing here for you_

_you'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you..._

That night Abbie didn't dream of blood sucking shape shifters or mysterious wives in Purgatory . No, that night Abbie dreamt of her childhood home before her mother Lori's breakdown and everything went to Hell.

"Abbie, Abbie baby", a voice said softly in Abbie's dream.

"Mommy?" Abbie asked in wonder.

"Yes, baby, her mother replied. "My look at you, you are a sight for sore eyes." My little girl all grown up!"

" Mommy, why are you here?", Abbie was confused.

"To help you Abbie", her mother said reassuringly. "Talk to me baby, tell me what's wrong."

" Oh Mommy", Abbie cried, "sometimes this whole Witness thing is so hard. I feel so alone most of the time. No one can really understand the life I'm living except... I want kids Ma, I want a man who'll love me for who I am, crazy life and all. How can I ever have that now?"

"Grace Abigail Mills, her mother responded, you are one of the strongest people I know, stronger than I ever was that's for sure. I know God would not have chosen you for this task if he didn't know you could do it. Didn't you ever stop to think that you could still have those things you want even though you are a Witness?"

Abbie had a hard time believing her mother could be right. "How Mommy?", she asked, "Come on, no one can understand this weird, roller coaster life I'm leading. Hell, I don't even understand it. Who could love me with all the crap I have going on? What man in his right mind would willingly become a part of this insanity?"

"I think you already know the answer to that baby", Abbie's mother responded , with a slight smile.

"Wait, what?" Abbie asked wide eyed.

Abbie's mother simply hugged her daughter and whispered "Have faith Abbie. The best is yet to be for you. Have patience, all things come in the proper time. Most of all, remember, God doesn't make mistakes."

Abbie felt her mother's arms slowly lose their hold and then she was gone.

Suddenly Abbie remembered Ichabod's words from several months before:

_"This is the sacrifice that Witnesses must carry; all we really get is one another."_ Abbie smiled at the memory .

"Patience?", Abbie mused," yeah I can do that."

Abbie awakened the next morning with a clear head and more rested than she had been in months. She dressed and drove to work with a sense of peace she never knew was possible for her.

When Abbie entered the Archives, Ichabod was already sitting with his morning coffee poring over a huge book. "Lieutenant," he observed, "you are looking rather serene this morning. This a bit unusual for you, wouldn't you say? It is not that I don't like the change; it's just that this is not the Miss Mills I've grown accustomed to." 

"Well Crane", Abbie smiled, "I finally had a good night's sleep. So come on, you know, Demons to vanquish, world to save - Let's get to work".

"Right you are lieutenant", Ichabod agreed.

So the two Witnesses settled in to continue their tireless quest to save humanity from darkness.


End file.
